Musical instrument



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE F. CRANE AND \VILLIAM R. IVITHERS, OF NEIVARK, NEYV JERSEY.

MUSICAL INSTRU MENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,987, dated April 22, 1890.

Application filed June 29, 1889. Serial No. 306,074. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that we, THEODORE F. CRANE and WVILLIAM R. \VITHERS, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Newark, Essex county, and State of New J ersey, have invented what we have termed an Aquaphone, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Our invention relates to musical instruments; and it consists of one or more bodies provided with a suitable tubular chamber or chambers therein, in which water or other suitable fluid is employed, and adapted to be elevated or lowered to variable elevations therein by suitable means to be operated by hand or by suitable automatic means,whereby variable sounds are produced by forcing air within said tubular chambers or reservoirs.

The obj eet of our invention is twofold: first, to provide a cheap and simple musical instrument that will be novel and entertaining, and, second, to provide larger and more expensive musical instruments of varied forms embodying the same principle as the former, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the drawings, in which we have represented our invention embodied in several different forms, Figures 1 and 2 represent a top and a vertical sectional view, respectively, of our invention embodied in one style of instrument; Figs. 3 and I, a top and sectional view, respectively, of our invention embodied in a different form; and Figs. 5 and 6, a front and sectional view of the same in a modified form, all to be described in detail hereinafter.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which represent our invention embodied in a cheap form-- A represents a device provided with a tubular or pipe-like contrivance, and forming a chamber in which fluid is adapted to be ele vated or lowered, and is formed in the present instance of glass to enable the player or operator to make and observe the desired rise andfall of the fluid therein to vary the amount of airspace, and thereby vary the sounds produeed when air is forced into the same, as will appear obvious to those skilled in the art. In the instance shown we have provided said chamberwith a suitable scale, printed or otherwise marked on its exterior wall, as clearly shown, to enable the operator to adjust the fluid to the desired heights to produce sounds according with the scale as marked thereon. The said tubular device may be of any desired form or shape and of any suitable material, the object being to provide a suitable chamber into which fluid may be forced by suitable m cans to vary the amount of airspace therein. In the instance shown (referring to Fig. 1) we have provided a flexible reservoir 13, preferably formed of rubber, adapted to be secured on one end of the said tubular body, to retain the fluid and cause the same to rise and fall within said chamber, as hereinbefore described and for the purpose set forth, when pressed upon by the operator. Upon the opposite end of said body A we attach a moutln piece 0, constructed like the mouth-piece of an ordinary whistle, well known to those skilled in the art, through which air is blown into the chamber Aby the operator to produce sounds. I

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, we have represented our invention in a different and somewhat modified form from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this instance we have provided a suitable case or frame D, in which we have arranged two or more tubular openings or chambers A, corresponding in function with the tubular chamber in our de vice as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, and the month-pieces 0 project the outer edge of said frame or casement- D, as clearly shown, in a manner to allow the operator to move the instrument back and forth and operate or blow in the different chambers, the fluid being adjusted to varied heights therein at the same time, for the purpose hereinbefore set forth, by the operator pressing upon keys 1?, projecting the opposite side of said case. In this instance we have provided pistons Z7 within said chamber A to adjust the water therein in lieu of a flexible bulb or reservoir, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said pistons are provided with rods h, which project through said case, and are provided with keys or knobs B, located upon their outer ends, as shown in Fig. i, and by which. said pistons are operated. Z) represents a coiled spring located upon said piston-rods, adapted to elastically hold the said keys B in their proper or normal extended position and force the same back to said position when pressed in by the operator, as will appear obvious.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, we have shown a slight modification in the arrangement of the keys from that shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this instance we have provided elbow-levers B to serve as keys, adapted to be horizontally pivoted in the lower part or extension D of the frame or casement D and have a loose connection with the piston-rod, as clearly shown in Fig. 6,'and at their opposite end project vertically through the casement in a position to be readily operated upon, and are provided with coiled springs 19' thereon, for obvious reasons. In this instance we also provide adj Listing-screws E, adapted to be located in the easement D immediately beneath the forward part of the lever or key B, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, adapted to be adjusted to varied heights to act as stops for the keys B" when operated upon to adjust the throw of the pistons 11 in their chambers, and thereby produce variable sounds when air is forced into said chambers, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. It is also obvious to those skilled in the art that our invention may be applied in various ways other than those already described herein without departing from the spirit of our invention, as we do not wish to be understood as confining ourselves to the forms embodying our invention described herein.

Having thus set forth inyinventioinwhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An aquaphone consisting of a suitable body provided with an opening or openings therein adapted to contain more or less fluid, a suitable mouth-piece, and means, substantially as described, for elevating or lowering the fluid within the said opening or openings, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An aquaphone consisting of a transparent tubular body or bodies having a suitable scale marked thereon, and provided with a flexible reservoir attached thereto containing more or less water or other fluid adapted to be raised to different points in said tubular body corresponding with said scale to produce variable sounds, and a mouth-piece attached to said body or bodies, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, an aquaphone consisting of a suitable body provided with an opening or openings and a bulb or bulbs containing more or less fluid attached thereto, and a suitable mouth-piece attached to the opposite end or ends adapted to be operated in a manner substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. An aquaphone consisting of a suitable body provided with an opening or openings therein adapted to contain more or less fluid.

means located at one end thereof through which air is forced into said opening or openings, and means for elevating or lowering the fluid in said opening or openings, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'lllEO. F. CRANE. \VILLIAM R. XVITHERS.

Witnesses:

Jos. M. CRANE, CHAS. F. DANE. 

